away & then back

i repeat . always.  

i escaped from the ranch for a few days. 
haleigh lauren's wedding weekend had finally arrived. 
wednesday the 22nd
i loaded up the expedition 
& hit the road at 5:55 p.m.
 seven & a half hours lay ahead
several phone calls with the family entertained me
bob goff gave great inspiration 
& then just as i began to think that this was taking forever 
i found familiar roads. 
memories.  
something about just knowing where you are going makes one feel safe. 
there was that house 
& that turn off 
& the church 
& then there was road uu. 
& the little red barn 
& finally i turned into that little sheltered haven. 
i had arrived. 
& hugs were given in silence at 1:30 as the family slept on 

happy thanksgiving US citizens 
the hot tea drinking began 
the laughing 
the talking 
new people were met 
like aaron. the guy that loves haleigh 
he is a really nice one. 
& his family & friends 
they are nice humans as well. 
we do some wedding stuff but mostly just talk 
there's this cool old school 
across the way from the church 
its been made all pretty inside 
& has the name colusa 
after yummy thanksgiving food 
us youth found ourselves sat around the fire there 
& made dried bouquets
for saturday night 
arica. haleigh & i sit on the couch & sing 
shania joins  

arica & i take to the town this friday
we near garden city & i may have gotten a little giddy 
patrick dugans for a good cuppa coffee 
we drive through the town & its just nice to be here
all our many errands are run 
the important & the fun 
we meet the best men for freddys
& zoomed back to our duties
choir books are assembled 
supper at colusa. 
soup in bread bowls 
delicious 
& then 
we race back to the house 
assemble a honeymoon basket 
& journey to volleyball 
 here i found people i know 
this was nice 
soon our party found itself back at the house 
drinking tea. 
this was becoming a theme

snow blanketed the ground saturday morning 
o this was happy 
haleigh arica & i sat upstairs by the fire 
& read our Bible & journaled
cozy & peaceful 
after food (& tea) 
us bridesmaids & best men journeyed outdoors
a wheelborrow
& some loppers  
our tools of choice 
there in the snow we clipped pine boughs 
it was to be placed upon the tables at church 
pine & candle sticks 
it was so cozy looking 
& so very elegant 
we set haleigh's table 
& off for pizza 
once again at colusa 
here i sat with aaron & haleigh 
& figured out special seating 
a practice run of our songs for this evening 
a tiny bit of volleyball
& then we readied ourselves for the supper 
. after . 
assembled head table pine garland
rehearsal 
& back to the house 
for tea . 

blue skies. bright sun. glistening snow 
what a "haleigh" morning 
she is stunning 
her face glows 
everything is just so perfect 

& then it was over 
arica & i went for coffee
we met abe & wendy
both of us know em from africa days 
& back to sherwins 
to cry some more 
& give more hugs 
& drink more tea 
i must go now 
i dont want to . 
but i do . 
i go to lakin 
the road has not changed 
lunch with jamye. & blaine & brittany 
i wish it could've been longer 
i stop at school to hug rosalynn & kristy 
i wish my  kids were there 
& now i MUST go 
the drive gave lots of time to think 
& talk on the phone 
& listen to more Bob Goff 
& then i had made it 
back to bredehoeft road 
back on duty 

to say i am grateful 
is an understatement
i feel so lucky that i got to go 
& be a part of this special weekend 
it truly was so very special
now i will go drink some tea 
& think of all the fun memories 
( & no it will not be licorice tea. that stuffs nasty  ;) )


till next time 
ms tif